By J. K Nabary
Brakwa (C/R), Sept 30, GNA- Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, the Central Regional Minister, has called on the clergy, Imams and chiefs to use their platforms to positively educate people to retrain from destroying the environment.
He said there was the need to use these mediums because they were powerful platforms which could reach large numbers of people to aid attitudinal change.
Mr Eduamoah made the call at an accountability forum organised by Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assembly to explain how its share of the 2025 District Assemblies’ Common Fund was utilised and receive feedback from the people for further action to improve their livelihoods.
The Minister said Assemblies would not spend ten percent of the common fund on waste collection if the pulpits and mosques were effectively used to educate the people against littering and indiscriminate dumping of waste.
“Let us change our behaviour to retain the common fund allocated for sanitation for more developmental projects, particularly in the education and health sectors,” he implored.
The Minister said successes were not achieved in a vacuum, but through planning and hard work, hence government’s efforts to undertake programmes, projects and innovations aimed at bettering the lots of the citizenry, despite the challenges inherited.
He appealed to the people of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa Constituency to continue to rally behind the Assembly, the Member of Parliament for the area and the government to execute more projects and programmes to improve their lots.
Mrs Olivia Bentil, the District Chief Executive for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, stated that the District’s vision was to be a leading district in improved quality of life through wealth creation, sustainable development programmes and good governance.
She stated that the projection from 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) puts the District’s population at approximately 143, 780 with 32 electoral areas, eight towns and area councils.
On revenue, she announced that in 2025, the Assembly budgeted GHc26, 779,269.20 and received GHc14, 624,616.00 as its share of the common fund with guidelines for utilisation, and it strictly adhered and executed projects and initiatives in accordance with the Government directive
Mrs Bentil stated that an amount of GHc3,656,154.00 representing 10 percent of the fund was used for ongoing construction works of a 24-hour market, GHc1,462,461.60 for health, GHc1,462,461.60 for water, GHc1,462,461.60, environment GHc1,462,461.60, furniture GHc1,462,461.60, administration GHc5,288,114,22 representing five percent, and legacy project had GHC2,024,193.78, representing 20 percent.
The DCE said priority projects executed were Government Flagship programmes, designs and construction of 24-Hour Economy Model Markets at Kojo Mensahkrom, two CHPS Compounds at Ato Dauda and Otabilkwaa, a KG Block, Primary School Block, and JHS School Block at Amoanda, Ofabir and Okukrom.
Others were12 mechanised boreholes at Amoanda, Fakenko, Nyansekyre, Anwhiam, Brakwa Eshiem, Papa Okyere, Awarebegu, Asarekwaa, Odoben SHS, Sarekwaa, Kuntenase and Asikafuor Abantem.
Also, there were environmental sanitation (Solid and Liquid Waste Management) across District, supply of 300 Mono Desks and 300 dual Desks, completion of legacy projects consisting of two KG blocks each at Odoben, Kututenase, and Anwhiam, the renovation of a CHPS compound at Asikuma, District Assembly Block, Ambulance Service Block and a magistrate’s bungalow.
The rest are construction of a six-unit classroom block at Breman Okukrom, two-unit classroom block at Breman Ofabir, a two-unit KG block with ancillary facilities at Amoanda, and a one-storey surgical theatre at Our Lady of Grace Hospital.
She said that Alhaji Anthony Kobina Ghansah, the Member of Parliament for the area, supported the construction of a children’s ward at Brakwa Health Centre, a 12-seater water closet toilet at Breman Senior High School, together with other initiatives with his share of the Common Fund.
Nana Osa Fori III, the Chief of Brakwa who chaired the event, thanked President Mahama for the good works being executed to better the lot of the people.
Nana Fori commended also the Assembly and MP for the numerous projects executed in 2025 with the district’s share of the Common Fund.
He appealed to President Mahama and MP and the District Assembly to consider other communities yet to benefit and urged all citizens to pay their taxes for more developmental projects and programmes to be done in the area.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Benjamin Mensah